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Phonics in upper elementary wasn’t something we always knew how to approach when we were classroom teachers. We knew we had struggling readers. We knew some of our students had significant gaps in their foundational reading skills. But knowing exactly what to teach—and how to fit that instruction into an already packed literacy block—was another story.
That’s why we’re bringing back this Dear Stellar Teacher episode. As we continue talking about supporting struggling readers, this conversation feels just as important today.
We’re sharing some of our biggest phonics confessions: mistakes we made in our own classrooms, things we misunderstood about intervention, and what we wish we’d known about phonics, phonemic awareness, and decoding in the upper elementary grades.
If you’ve ever thought, Shouldn’t my third, fourth, or fifth graders already know this? or I know this student needs help with decoding, but I have no idea where to start, this episode is for you.
Why Phonics in Upper Elementary Still Matters
It’s easy to think of phonics as something that belongs in kindergarten, first, or second grade. By upper elementary, the focus has typically shifted toward vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and increasingly complex texts.
But what happens when a student reaches third, fourth, or fifth grade without strong foundational reading skills? Those gaps don’t disappear simply because students get older.
If a student struggles to decode words accurately and efficiently, accessing grade level texts becomes significantly more difficult. That’s why phonics in upper elementary may still need to be part of the support we provide to struggling readers.
And this was something we didn’t fully understand when we were in the classroom.
In this episode, we’re getting candid about some of the things we wish we had done differently.
We didn’t always prioritize systematic phonics instruction. We didn’t incorporate as much phonemic awareness as some of our students needed. And at times, we assumed that foundational reading intervention was someone else’s responsibility.
Looking back, we realize that wasn’t because we didn’t care about our struggling readers. We simply didn’t always have the knowledge, training, or confidence to know what effective foundational skills instruction should look like for older students.
That’s why we’re sharing these confessions.
If you’re currently feeling unsure about teaching phonics in upper elementary, you aren’t expected to magically know everything. But learning more about foundational reading skills can help you better identify what your students need and determine how you can support them.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- The biggest mistakes we made when supporting struggling readers
- Why phonics in upper elementary still matters
- Why systematic phonics instruction may be necessary for older struggling readers
- How knowledge and confidence impact foundational skills instruction
- Why intervention shouldn’t simply become someone else’s responsibility
- What we’ve learned about providing more intentional support to struggling readers
If you’re supporting older students who still struggle to decode, remember that foundational reading instruction isn’t “too young” for them when it’s the instruction they need.
The goal isn’t to make your upper elementary literacy block look like a first grade classroom. It’s to identify the skills your students haven’t mastered and provide explicit, age appropriate instruction that helps close those gaps.
Resources for Phonics in Upper Elementary:
- Join The Stellar Literacy Collective – If teaching phonics in upper elementary feels outside your comfort zone, the Stellar Literacy Collective can help you feel more confident. Get access to ready to use, research based literacy resources that help you strengthen foundational skills, support struggling readers, and provide meaningful literacy instruction without having to figure it all out on your own.
- Have students who still need explicit support with phonics, decoding, and foundational reading skills? The Stellar Reading Intervention Toolkit takes the guesswork out of phonics in upper elementary. With assessments, targeted lessons, and repeatable 15-minute routines, you’ll have a clear, systematic path for identifying skill gaps and giving struggling readers the instruction they need—without piecing together intervention lessons yourself.
Connect with me:
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- Facebook: The Stellar Teacher Company
The Stellar Literacy Collective (SLC) is a membership designed for upper elementary teachers who want strong, effective literacy instruction… without spending hours planning every week.
Inside SLC, you’ll find ready-to-use, research-aligned lessons for reading, writing, and word study that work together to create a research-backed framework. From whole group comprehension lessons and vocabulary routines to small group supports and writing instruction, everything is built around consistent systems that support real classroom implementation.
Click HERE to learn more!
The Stellar Teacher Podcast is here to help you feel more confident teaching phonics in upper elementary and supporting students who still need foundational reading instruction. Each episode is filled with actionable strategies for upper elementary teachers, from phonemic awareness and decoding to fluency, comprehension, and targeted reading intervention. When you better understand phonics in upper elementary, you can identify skill gaps and provide the explicit support struggling readers need to make progress. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode filled with practical strategies that make phonics in upper elementary feel more manageable and effective.
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